Photos by Dave Ray

On 17 August 2015 employees at the iconic Hotel Majapahit in Surabaya, Indonesia, paused to remember an historic occasion at the site where world history pivoted in a new direction.

Tags:

flag

indonesia

The Sulfur Miners of Ijen Crater--Java, Indonesia

dave-admin — Wed, 01 Apr 2015 08:43:27 +0000

The Sulfur Miners of Ijen Crater--Java, Indonesia

In Java you can find a number of epic locations to experience and photograph. If you're reasonably fit and are up to climbing a slightly hazardous mountain path (due to slippery stones on a fairly steep trail), then Ijen Crater should definitely get on your short list.

After a strenuous walk up a wide path in the dark, you descend down a narrow zig-zagged trail to the bottom of the crater. As you enter the crater you'll enveloped from time to time by whiffs of rotten egg sulfur smells.

Tags:

World War I Battle in SE Asia Remembered

dave-admin — Wed, 29 Oct 2014 05:50:26 +0000

World War I Battle in SE Asia Remembered

We expect to see frequent news items about World War I centennial commemorations. Nearly all of them will be held in France or nearby. But this week there was a World War I battle commemoration held near the spot where scores of Russian & French sailors died in a little known but deadly battle in Malaya (now Malaysia).

Whispering Fish Market of Penang, Malaysia

dave-admin — Tue, 19 Nov 2013 04:54:52 +0000

Whispering Fish Market of Penang, Malaysia

There's a fishing village on Penang's border. Here you find a long-kept & unique tradition. The fishing village is called Kuala Muda. They run a fish market, & hold an auction to sell their catch. But what’s really unique is that for some wildly bizarre reason they hold a whispering auction.

Tags:

Kuala Muda

Penang

Malaysia

whispering fish market

Teochew Chinese Puppet Troupe

dave-admin — Mon, 28 Oct 2013 18:55:36 +0000

Teochew Chinese Puppet Troupe

During the Chinese Spirits of the 7^th Month (known by the misnomer “the Hungry Ghost) Festival, many Chinese communities in Malaysia & Singapore hold traditional Chinese opera using human actors, but only a few places still put on Chinese puppet shows.

Tags:

Campbell Street Market

Hungry Ghost festival

Holy Day of the Sacrifice & Feast

dave-admin — Sun, 20 Oct 2013 21:46:29 +0000

Holy Day of the Sacrifice & Feast

WARNING: THIS BLOG INCLUDES TWO IMAGES WITH GRAPHIC ANIMAL BLOOD. IF YOU ARE DISTURBED BY SUCH SCENES, PLEASE ACCEPT OUR ADVICE TO LOOK NO FURTHER.

Aidul Adha or Hari Raya Haji (Pilgrim’s Holy Day) or Hari Raya Korban (Holy Day of the Sacrifice) is Islam’s holy day when Muslims annually remember the prophet Abraham’s sacrifice of his son to Allah, interrupted by Allah as Allah provided a substitute animal to die in the place of Abraham’s descendants.

Tags:

"Hungry Ghost" Festival Chinese Pop Concert

dave-admin — Mon, 02 Sep 2013 04:21:39 +0000

"Hungry Ghost" Festival Chinese Pop Concert

Not everything is strictly traditional about how the Chinese in Penang, Malaysia celebrate the Spirits of the 7^th Month “Hungry Ghost” Festival. Chinese opera—in either Hokkien & Teowchew styles predominate, & there’s the rare traditional Chinese puppet show to entertain the sudden population explosion of spirits walking around. But the modern world has invaded tradition as well, and most locales celebrating the festival also include some modern-styled Chinese entertainment.

Tags:

"Hungry Ghost" Festival Communal Meal

dave-admin — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 15:28:50 +0000

"Hungry Ghost" Festival Communal Meal

Perhaps the most enjoyable part for many Malaysian Chinese during the Spirits of the 7^th Month (aka "Hungry Ghost") Festival is the big communal meal that every active site holds.

An active site means—among other things—a place where there’s a temple or shrine of some sort (they’re nearly everywhere in Penang), a medium to lead sacerdotal duties, a stage & a Chinese opera troupe.

Tags:

"Hungry Ghost" Chinese Mediums & Lots

dave-admin — Wed, 21 Aug 2013 14:06:36 +0000

"Hungry Ghost" Chinese Mediums & Lots

Apart from Taiwan, there may be no other place in the world today where so many Chinese continue to preserve their ancient religious traditions. Mao Zedong seemingly obliterated most traditional Chinese religionist practices in Mainland China.

Among the Chinese of Malaysia—particularly in the Chinese populations of Penang—these traditions don’t merely survive; they thrive.

Tags:

Chinese

traditional religion

Hungry Ghost festival

"Hungry Ghost" Chinese Opera

dave-admin — Mon, 19 Aug 2013 13:00:36 +0000

"Hungry Ghost" Chinese Opera

Everyone living near any traditional Chinese community knows that this is now the 7^th Chinese month—that remarkable time of year known to many as the Hungry Ghost Festival. My closest local Chinese friend—a traditional religionist—insists that we stop calling it the Hungry Ghost Festival & more properly call it the “Festival of the Spirits of the 7^th Month.”

I want to respect his wishes, but sounds like a mouthful! And in the meantime, everyone else seems to call it the Hungry Ghost Festival.

Tags:

Realistic Indonesian Wooden Puppets of Moesson Antique, Jogjakarta

dave-admin — Mon, 08 Jul 2013 06:19:33 +0000

Realistic Indonesian Wooden Puppets of Moesson Antique, Jogjakarta

Most Indonesian wayang golek wooden puppets have a faint resemblance to real humans. In my last blog I showed you one example in Putro Wayang Workshop of a Javanese woman puppet that moved toward realism.

Not far from the southern gateway through the fort walls of the Jogjakarta sultan’s palace one comes to Prawirotaman Street—long a famed hangout for backpacker tourists. But these days there’s an increasing number of higher grade hotels, restaurants & even antique shops on Jalan Prawirotaman.

Tags:

Indonesian Wayang Golek Wooden Puppets

dave-admin — Mon, 08 Jul 2013 05:27:38 +0000

Indonesian Wayang Golek Wooden Puppets

The Javanese of Indonesia are world renowned for their wayang kulit shadow puppets. To their west are the Sundanese who prefer wayang golek wooden puppets—no screen, no shadow, just let us see the puppets.

Tags:

7 days left to get in on 2013 the Java-Bali Photo Tour

dave-admin — Mon, 08 Jul 2013 04:39:54 +0000

7 days left to get in on 2013 the Java-Bali Photo Tour

There's just 7 days left for you & your friends to get in on the 2013 Java-Bali Photo Tour

Tags:

Village Javanese Shadow Puppet Studio, Java, Indonesia

dave-admin — Sat, 06 Jul 2013 05:58:12 +0000

Village Javanese Shadow Puppet Studio, Java, Indonesia

In our last blog we showed you a Javanese wayang kulit shadow puppet craftsman’s studio in the heart of Jogjakarta's sultan’s palace. When looking for shadow puppet craftsmen, everyone hears about a couple puppet studios within the palace walls, but we also started hearing about a renowned village shadow puppet studio out in the country.

Tags: